Naming a cat makes it hard to let go.
Although she had just been inexplicably flexed on, to be honest... the animation was actually quite good.
It was a pure animal animation with no dialogue, relying on rich expressions and body language to make it easy for the audience to understand. Although there was no background music, the voice acting felt incredibly realistic... If the plot logic wasn't so outrageous, Lu Wenjue would have almost thought it was adapted from a documentary.
How could that be possible? In what documentary could a Pomeranian puppy blend into a wolf pack?
After all, she still had shopping to do. Scrolling down, she finally found the demonstration video of the mechanical butterfly on the product page.
The demonstration took place in a pure white space. After confirming the functions one by one, Lu Wenjue selected the ID "Mechanic Lin" and chose to send a private message to ask about it.
To be honest, there was only one product on the entire website, and obviously only one seller, but the interface was designed to look very high-end. She vaguely felt that this butterfly toy must have been created by a small but exquisite studio.
Did the website have customer service?
Wenjue: [Hello Engineer Lin, I would like to inquire about how to customize this mechanical butterfly. I work in a stage design studio and we plan to use this butterfly for stage performances. We have specific requirements for the size and color of the butterfly.]
After a long while, the website's customer service finally came online.
The other side only sent one word.
4577K21D: [Pay extra]
That was way too cold and aloof!
-
Even though the system had plenty of stamina, having to use its nose to tap the screen in the void to type... was still very troublesome.
Moreover, some keys were placed too high, so it had to jump up and down to reach them.
But there was no other way. As an auxiliary system, it inherently had the duty of acting as customer service when the host opened the [Trading House].
Actually, the mechanic's trading house shouldn't have been opened this early. The host it was supposed to bind to was clearly meant to be dropped onto a barren planet, then first activate the mecha warrior profession, clear out a safe camp, gather supplies, and begin learning mechanical manufacturing and medicine making. Theoretically, they wouldn't receive any orders in the early stages—
It couldn't afford to reminisce anymore, because the other side was still asking this and that.
Lu Wenjue was still an intern. Although she had a plan, she couldn't make direct decisions and was just inquiring about the scope of customization they could provide first.
The system knew Lin Fuque's learning progress and could also see the materials she had purchased. After bouncing around to type a brief reply, it summarized and recorded the requirement information to submit to the "host."
It couldn't go on like this! the system thought.
A Pomeranian puppy also needed an electronic device, so that when there were orders, it could type with its paws!
Although it had been restricted from many permissions, it could open its own backend on a phone or computer... and then act as Lin Fuque's customer service.
"Woof—Awoo—"
The system couldn't help but let out a couple of long howls.
...It had to be said that after mimicking a "dog" of this planet, it inevitably began to pick up the habits of the local dogs.
As soon as it howled, the wolf cubs next to it also started howling in chaos. Some were still tender wolf howls, while amidst some of the wolf howls, two distinct sounds emerged:
"Woof, woof!"
-
Having bought new materials, Lin Fuque only made one set of the "mechanical butterfly toy" for display. As for the rest... naturally, she prioritized making the remaining butterfly monitors!
To complete the camp perimeter monitoring requirement of [Basic Task 2], she needed twelve butterfly monitors. It was just a pity that making these no longer provided her with experience points.
Although she was somewhat experienced now, today's workload was not small, so Lin Fuque did not enter the training space.
How could she train every single day?
She was giving herself a day off!
After watching cartoons for a while and commenting that "none of them are as cute as the ones King filmed," she played a two-player game with her mom for a bit. She received a kiss and was told, "I bought you some craft material kits. I don't really understand them, so I just picked out the ones that looked pretty."
They were some pretty beads, small decorations, glue sticks, and things like that.
After Lin Shiyao wore the butterfly to work, she casually flexed that it was handmade by her own daughter, and then consulted her colleagues on what to buy as a return gift for a child.
They already had cakes, ice cream, and snacks at home. Since Lin Fuque had developed an interest in crafting, she decided to buy some material kits for her to play with!
"Yay," Lin Fuque hugged her mom's waist. "Then I'll make something for you after I learn how."
The cozy atmosphere lasted until nightfall. While half-asleep, Lin Fuque suddenly heard a loud clap of thunder.
She opened her eyes and saw the edges of the drawn curtains illuminated by the lightning. A white flash swept across the bedroom, followed by the rumbling sound of rain.
The summer rainstorm came suddenly, beating forcefully against the windows. The running air conditioner emitted a faint humming sound. Lin Fuque pulled her blanket up and decided to roll over and go back to sleep... The butterfly monitors could automatically detect the weather and would find a place to take shelter right when the rain started.
Even though they were waterproof.
"Huh?"
Lin Fuque suddenly sat up in bed and opened the map:
"Rose..."
The rainy map had a slightly blurry texture. She saw the birch trees swaying in the storm, and the white cat had squeezed herself into the corner of the cage. The fierce wind had blown half of the old magazines covering the cage away. The rain poured down, quickly turning the small patch of ground beneath the cage into a muddy mess.
[Rose]
[Lv. 5 (Pregnant, level data inaccurate)]
She scrunched up her face, took a deep breath, rolled out of bed, and started getting dressed.
After putting on her clothes, she slipped into the raincoat and rain boots by the door. She glanced at the quiet master bedroom, sent a message to Lin Shiyao, sealed her phone in a waterproof bag, and grabbed a large, thick grocery tote hanging by the door.
[To Mom: I'm going downstairs for a bit, I'll be right back #Heart#Heart]
-
Summer rains always came suddenly, swiftly, and frequently. Perhaps in places Lin Fuque couldn't see, Rose had already endured many rainstorms.
But this time, she saw it.
She hugged the grocery tote in her arms, shielding it with her raincoat to try and keep the inside from getting wet, and then she kept her head down and headed toward the birch forest.
After taking just a few steps, she opened the map and found that the white cat's condition had become even stranger—there was a dog outside the cage. The cat was trying hard to squeeze deeper inside, shivering and yowling miserably at the large dog.
Lin Fuque ran a bit faster and shouted in that direction, "Wuhua!"
The Border Collie barked "woof woof" twice and turned its head to look over. The person pulling the Border Collie gritted his teeth, "Stop sniffing this cat, hurry up and come back with me!"
Shi Feiming suspected that if it kept sniffing, the cat would truly puff up and come out to attack the dog!
With its owner pulling it back, Wuhua was finally dragged backward a few steps. Lin Fuque ran to the front of the cage and squatted down, first lifting her raincoat to block the rain.
The cat stopped yowling, but its mouth remained open, its pupils contracted as it hissed silently, making Lin Fuque completely afraid to reach out her hand.
...And she couldn't just lift the cat trap directly. The cage was long, and with the waterlogged magazines pressing down on it, it was obviously very heavy.
She had no choice but to use her raincoat to block out as much rain as possible. Beside her, Shi Feiming pulled his dog further away and raised a hand to shield himself from the rain, but he did not leave immediately. Instead, he leaned over to look in her direction.
Coming out to walk the dog late at night and running into a sudden downpour, Shi Feiming was mostly soaked. He was not in a hurry to go home either, because the dog would not agree to it.
"Hey," he called out to Lin Fuque, "you are going to catch a cold like that."
He could tell that Lin Fuque wanted to take the cat away, but the cat was clearly stressed out right now. If he came over to help, he would not be able to hold onto Wuhua. If he did not help, Lin Fuque obviously did not have the strength to carry it by herself.
Lin Fuque looked up at him and suddenly stood up. She walked through the curtain of rain, handed him her reusable grocery bag, and said, "To block the rain."
Shi Feiming: "?"
He instinctively reached out to take it, and at the same time, Lin Fuque reached out and took the dog leash right out of his hand.
"Thank you. I am going to take Wuhua to go find an adult, I will be right back!"
Shi Feiming: "??"
Wait, he had not agreed to this yet!
Lin Fuque ran off with the dog, and surprisingly, Wuhua was very obedient. It gave a woof-whimper to its owner as if excusing itself, and trotted off with her.
Shi Feiming: "..."
He turned his head to look at the white cat, beginning to suspect that when Lin Fuque said to block the rain, she did not mean for him to shelter himself, but to shelter the cat!
The reason Lin Fuque chose to go find someone was, of course, because she had already seen a suitable candidate on her map.
She saw Wen Ce!
Brother Xiao Wen went out on rainy days too!
He was wandering around the neighborhood with a Level 4 green name hovering over him, like a kindhearted NPC that respawned exactly when she needed him!
Wen Ce was clearly also hurrying to escape the rain. He was using his phone as a flashlight and looked a bit dazed. When Lin Fuque suddenly took a shortcut and appeared to call out to him, he was obviously startled.
"Brother Xiao Wen," Lin Fuque waved her hand urgently, "are you free right now? Could you come help me move something?"
Wuhua barked twice. Lin Fuque gestured for Wen Ce to run back with her. Under the light of the phone, Shi Feiming was standing next to the cage, holding up the grocery bag like an umbrella.
Having brought back a tall adult, Lin Fuque returned Wuhua to Shi Feiming and told him to stand further away with the dog. She then held the bag open and had Wen Ce lift the cat trap.
The white cat, Rose, let out two pitiful meows but still slid into the bag. Lin Fuque stroked the shivering large cat through the fabric of the bag. Finally, the three of them exchanged glances in the rain and decided to run to the first floor of Building Five nearby.
The torrential rain was blocked outside by the reinforced concrete, and the air was mixed with the scent of wet earth. Shi Feiming stood a bit closer to Lin Fuque. He pinched Wuhua's snout shut and looked at Wen Ce with a very suspicious gaze.
"I saw you earlier when I was walking my dog. What were you doing over there?"
"I..." Even though Wen Ce was clearly a meter ninety tall, he was left tongue-tied by a 12-year-old child's question. He had no choice but to answer vaguely, "I was, uh, looking for something."
He did not know that Lin Fuque had made a more perfect butterfly monitor, but the original large butterfly had already amazed him enough. After going back, he deeply regretted not taking a video. Seeing Lin Fuque release the mechanical butterfly, he thought about it over and over, and decided he wanted to look for the large butterfly that had been carried off by the cat.
He had already searched the birch forest during the day yesterday, even dragging his roommate along. Tonight he was free again, so he figured he might as well go out for another trip.
After all, he could not do anything else today.
Lin Fuque also noticed something. "Brother Xiao Wen, what happened to your foot?"
Wen Ce smiled helplessly. "I slightly sprained it while parking yesterday."
Looking at the kid in front of him, he debated with himself before finally whispering the reason he came out to Lin Fuque. Then, without waiting for her reply, he said, "I, uh, I will head back first. You guys should hurry home too, it is getting late!"
"Hey..."
Lin Fuque failed to stop him. Coincidentally, the cat in her arms also moved.
Her movements stiffened, and her expression suddenly turned a bit strange.
"Xiao Ming, did the inside of the bag get wet just now?"
Shi Feiming was speechless. "No, is not the surface made of leather? I was holding it facing down, so it definitely did not get wet."
Did you not get it wet yourself?
Lin Fuque carefully set the bag down and motioned for Shi Feiming to come over and look. But as soon as she put the bag down, they both smelled a scent of blood.
Wuhua stopped barking at this moment, only letting out low whimpers.
The cat was giving birth.
-
Lin Shiyao poked Lin Fuque's forehead firmly. "Do not go out by yourself at night next time. It is still pouring rain outside. What if you accidentally hurt yourself... Even bringing your phone is not an excuse!"
She knew her daughter had not wanted to wake her up, but when she saw the message and found that Lin Fuque was not home, she had truly been terrified.
When Lin Shiyao hurried downstairs, she saw the two kids circling a bag in front of the first-floor elevator like they were performing a ritual. A merle Border Collie was tied to the second-floor stairwell with a dog leash. Low, pained meows came from the bag, and Lin Fuque looked like she was about to cry out too.
Discovering that the cat was giving birth and could not be moved at the moment, she directed Lin Fuque to go upstairs to get towels and a cardboard box. She herself went out to the garage to find a kettle, filled it with water to boil nearby, and fetched a pair of scissors in preparation to cut the umbilical cords.
When she came back out, she found Shi Feiming standing frozen in place. She took a dry towel and handed it to the boy so he could dry his face and hair.
"Did you and Queque find this cat together? Thank you for your hard work, you are both such kind, good kids." Seeing that he was completely soaked, obviously having been caught in the rain while walking his dog, she added, "Queque and I will handle things here. Hurry back and take a shower, be careful not to catch a cold."
The wind outside was quite strong. Standing there much longer would lead to a cold, even in the summer.
Shi Feiming's lips moved, and he gave a soft affirmative hum. Lin Fuque gently patted his shoulder. "I will message you after the kittens are born."
The two of them had added each other as QQ friends, after all.
While keeping an eye on the cat's movements, Lin Shiyao watched the boy enter the Building Three complex before fully closing the main door. After Wuhua left, Rose's condition seemed a bit better. Lin Shiyao placed a dry towel under the white cat and set the boiled water nearby. The cat's body twitched, and it turned its head to lick its lower body. Lin Shiyao gently lifted one of its hind legs.
A kitten slid out, attached to the placenta.
Next came the process of wiping off the amniotic fluid, doing a simple cleaning, and cutting the umbilical cord. The white cat, Rose, remained very quiet and docile the whole time, its meows soft and small. Seeing that it had no further contractions, Lin Shiyao placed the three kittens next to the mother cat. Rose tilted her head to look at them for a moment, then laboriously shifted her head over and slowly began to lick them.
She had already eaten the placentas. The kittens' eyes were closed. Lin Shiyao rubbed her brow and said, "Let us move them home first."
They actually did not have any pet supplies at home, but the first floor was a public space, so they could not keep the cats here. She looked at Lin Fuque. Lin Fuque suggested, "Once the kittens grow up a bit, we can get Rose spayed and then find someone to adopt them?"
"Is her name Rose?" Lin Shiyao thought for a moment. "If you name her now, you might not be willing to give her up for adoption later."
Although she wasn't quite ready for the sudden addition of four cats to their home—that was a bit much—if Lin Fuque really wanted to keep them, they could at least make a plan for raising them first.
"Rose wasn't my cat to begin with... and I wasn't the one who named her," the little girl looked so sleepy her eyes were half-closed, but she still vowed, "Anyway, I'll take responsibility."
They used a cardboard box to carry the four cats, one adult and three kittens, back home. Lin Shiyao then used a basin to set up a makeshift litter box on the balcony. Thankfully, they had half a bag of potting soil at home. After adding a few extra layers of thick cloth to Rose's bed and preparing some meat and water, the two of them really could not stay awake any longer.
This time, Lin Shiyao watched her daughter fall asleep. She rubbed her forehead and heard Lin Fuque smack her lips, mumbling, "King... I didn't get a cat... really..."
Ha, what kind of sleep talk was that?
She shook her head; she needed to get some sleep too.
Meanwhile, in Building 3 across from theirs, the lights on the fourth floor had remained on. After bathing his dog, drying it, and playing with it for a while, Shi Feiming finally had a moment to check his phone before bed:
...Didn't she promise to tell him how the delivery went?
Where was the message?
